The Washington critic., 1887-06-23
CHARLEY MANDEyiLLES LUCK
Getting Rich In Alabama After Sow
Ing His wild Oats Ia Washington.

Getting Rich In Alabama After sow
ing His wild Oats In Washington.
"Do you know Charley Vaudeville,
the Washington boy, who Ia getting
rich down In Birmingham, Alabama1"
asked an old inhablant Of a CRIrIc
reporter.
"You don't2" he exclaimed. In q
surprittd tone. when negative au.
swer was given. "Why. thought every.
body knew him. Charley is bound to
rise In the world, tell you, and you
needn't be alarmed, II you see him
coming here TO Congress before grea,
while. knew Charley when he was
boy, and mighty queer youngster
he was. lie was always looking around
for Captain Kidd's money. or some.
thing else just as foolish, and | never
saw such reader. And argue !
Wh.ew ! That boy would argue with
you until you couldn't see straight.
He was forever doing funny things
some people called him eccentric.
For instance, one day hat and coat
was found down on the Eastern Branch
and pinned to the coat was q note
signed with the name Of n prominent
Congressman who was reported to have
left town that morning for his home
down South. The note read something
like this: Il am tired OF life and throw
my sinful body to the fishes. With a
last look at that grand ediflce within
which my colleagues are now sitting,
leap to an ignominious DEATH
"When 1t became noised about town
such things flew fast In those days
that Congressman - had commit.
ted suicide. the excitement was intense,
for he was prominent man and con.
stantly before the country. His wife
was notified by telegraph, and an an.
swer came back that she would start
for Washington Immediately. Well,
the river was dragged all that day and
the next with no results. On the even.
ing of the second day dispatch was
received from the supposed suicid,
stating that he was safe at his HON .
There was reward offered for T.,
perpetrator of the hoax, but he ney :
was found. Charley told me aftei
wards that he was the author Of IT,.
joke. lie felt sorry, he said, for hay
ing caused so much trouble.
what have told you Is only n
specimen Of what the villain was wont
TO do. But let me tell you of his great.
est piece of foolishness. Somebody
presented him with beautiful New.
folndland dog. and Charley immedi
ately set about teaching him to perform
tricks. But instead of making the ami.
NAL do what he was told, Charley
taught him to do just the opposite. For
instance, when the command Get
out was given, the dog was made to
understand 1t as Come In, or Come
here and vice versa.
when person said sic EN- to
Mephistopheles-that was the dogs
name-he would come up and lick
their hands. BE quiet meant bark,
and so on. Whenever the animal was
bad Charley would beat him like the
mischief, speaking kind words all the
while. Meph. was also taught to jump
over tables and CHAIRS. The command to
jump was Lie down, and many anus.
ing things happened on account of It.
But the poor beast came to grief at last.
Charley found that he couldn't live
single any longer, SO he Joined the
Benedicts. A few days after he and
his bride had returned from their wed.
ding trip and had become settled in
their new house, Mrs. Vaudeville gave
lunch to soile of her school friends.
She hadn't become acquainted with the
dog yet, and when he trotted into the
room while the lunch was In progress
and shifted around the good things she
didn't like It. The table was set with
beautiful new set of china, presented
to Charley by his admiring friends as a
wedding gift.
"'Go way said the fair hostess, but
the dog wagged his tail and came to
her. Lie down. she cried. getting an
cry. The dog pricked up his ears aud
stood erect. Striking the table with
her knife, Mrs. Mandevile commanded
again: Lie down, l. The words
were hardly out of her mouth when
dishes and eatabes with him. Two or
three ladies tainted, and Mrs. Mande,
vile, after extricating herself from the
broken china and glass ware, ran up
stairs and had a good cry. The guests
didn't stay long. When Charley
came home he swore round more
or less, and then paid darkey
dollar to take the dog away
and Danish him from the presence Of
his old master. / heard from Charley
short while ago, and he tells me he
is doing splendidly in the iron business,
Folks said he wouldn't turn out well,
but he did, you see."